Method of and apparatus for making shoes



Dec. 9, 1941. s. F. RYAN 2,265,398

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHOES Filed Jan. 10, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- WVE/VTUH M Dec. 9, 1941. R N 2,265,398

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHOES Filed Jan. 10, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 9, 1941 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKHVG SHOES George F. Ryan, Peabody, Mass., assignor to United 'Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 10, 1940, Serial No. 313,179

13 Claims.

This invention relates to methods of making shoes and to apparatus for use in practising the method.

In the cement attachment of outsoles to shoes, it has been customary to last the upper over an insole mounted upon a rigid last and, after roughing and cementing the margin of the upper and the margin of the attaching face of the outsole, to activate the cement and press the shoe and sole together by means of a yielding pad. This procedure results in considerable variation in the bottoms of shoes made on identical lasts because of lack of uniformity in the materials and because of irregularities produced in the lasting and roughing operations. Even the leveling operation cannot give the shoe bottoms a wholly un form appearance.

Objects of this invention are to provide a method of making shoes by which, during the sole-attaching operation, a definitely predetermined shape is imparted to the shoe bottom irrespoctive of the dsposition of the materials between the insole and outsole. If desired, the breast flap of the sole may be attached at the same time to the breast of the heel.

With these objects in view, the invention in one aspect comprises a method of making shoes in wh ch so e-attachingand sole-shaping pressure is exerted from inside the shoe and a rigid form complemental to the desired shoe bottom is provided to engage the sole and receive the thrust of the outward pressure. In another aspect the method includes applying the breast flap of the sole to the breast of the heel by fluid pressure while the outsole of the shoe is forced against a r gid form by pressure inside the shoe.

The invention also comprises apparatus conssting of a rigid form having a face complemental to that of th desired shoe bottom and a last provided on its bottom face with a recess and in the recess a dilatable vessel to which fluid pressure may be supplied toexpand said vessel, thereby forcing it against the insole of a shoe upon the last and pressing the outsole of the shoe against the rigid form.

As illustrated. the rigid form may be provided with a recess to receive the heel of the shoe and in the recess in front of the heel a vessel dilatable by fluid pressure may be provided to exert pressure to force the breast flap of the sole against the breast of the heel, this preferably being done at the same time that the vessel on the last bottom is inflated to force the outsole against the rigid form.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a last made in accordance with the present invention, the last bottom being provided with a cavity containing an inflatable vessel;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of lasting an upper over an insole upon the last of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the shoe and last of Fig. 2 with the last therein forced by the inflation of the vessel in the last against a form complemental to the shoe bottom while the breast flap of the sole is pressed against the breast of the heel.

In the practice of my improved method of making shoes, in which sole-shaping pressure is applied from inside the shoe, I provide a last I0 such as that shown in Fig. 1 in th bottom of which is a recess or cavity I2 which may extend throughout thev entire shoe bottom, the rim I4 of the Wall I6 forming the recess I2 having the shape and extent of the insole required for the given last. Preferably the last is made of metal, such as aluminum alloy, and the walls I6 forming the recess are thin at the rim I4 and. are gradually thickened toward the body of the last. In the cavity I2 is a dilatable vessel I8 such as arubber bladder, the bladder being shaped to corresporcl approximately to the cavity I2. The bladder I8 is preferably connected by a tube 20 to a fac of the last which is not covered by the upper; for example, access to the tube 20 may be provided through the usual-thimble hole of the last. If desired, the toe end of the vessel I8 may be reinforced with an extra thickness of material, as indicated at 22, and the tube 20 maybe provided with a valve 24 like a tire valve to maintain pressure in the vessel.

An upper 26 and an insole 28 are mounted on the last Ill-and the vessel I8 partly inflated to fill the cavity and support the inner face of the insole 28. The upper 26 is lasted over the insole 28, for example by cement, and the overlasted upper roughened and cemented.

An outsole 30 is'prepared as usual for cement attachment by roughing and cementing its margin and, after activating the cement, the shoe and sole are located relatively. to eachother and placed in a machinesuch as a sole attaching machine, for example one of the type disclosed in Letters Patent .of the United States No.

2,047,185, granted July 14, 1936, on application of Ballard et al., which is provided with abutments 32 and 34. engaging respectively the cone of the last I0 and the toe portion of the upper 26. The bottom of the shoe rests on a rigid form 36 (Fig. 3), the form having a sole-enbonding of the upper to the sole.

which applies pressure to substantially the entire inner surface of the insole and forces it and the shoe upper and outsole outwardly'agalnst the rigid form 36 and, since the bladder I8 is supported on all sides by the metal last I!) and the insole 28, it is practicable to apply a very considerable pressure to the bladder and hence to the'sole and thereby cause its outer face to conform absolutely to the shape of the contacting face of the rigid form 36 whereby a definite finished shape is imparted to the outer face of the outsole irrespective of the condition of any other parts of the shoe and all parts of the lasting margin of the shoe upper are forced with uniform pressure against the cemented margin of the sole, insuring a complete and uniform Since an insole is usually lighter and more flexible than an outsole, less pressure is required to bend the insole into contact with the outsole than to bend the outsole, upper and insole against a v rigid last.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, a breast flap 46 on the outsole may be attached to a heel 42 simultaneously with the attachment of the sole to the shoe. For this purpose the rigid form 38 is provided with a cavity 44 to receive a heel already attached to the sole 30, the cavity about the rear and side faces of the heel being lined with cushioning material 48. In front of the heel breast is an inflatable and expansible vessel 48, for example a rubber bladder, by expansion of which the breast flap 40 may be forced against the breast face of the heel 42. The vessel 48 may receive fluid under pressure from the same source as that supplied to the vessel I8 and thus the sole attached to the shoe and the breast flap attached to the heel simultaneously.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods of attaching soles to shoes which comprises lasting an upper over an insole upon a last, placing an outsole upon the shoe with cement between the shoe bottom and the sole, supporting the shoe and outsole upon a form having a contour complemental to that which is to be imparted to the outsole, and introducing fluid pressure between the last and the insole to press the overlasted upper against the outsole and the outsole against the form so that the outsole is attached to the shoe bottom and the shape of the form is imparted to the outsole.

2. That improvement in methods of cement attaching soles to shoes which comprises providing activated cement between an outsole and upper secured in lasted position on a last, positioning the shoe on a rigid form having a surface contour corresponding to that which it is troducing fluid pressure opposed on the one hand r by the last and on the other hand by the upper,

the outsole and the form to cause adhesion between the upper and the outsole and also t shape the outsole correspond to the surface contour of the form.

3. That improvement in methods of making relatively to each other causing the last to exert uniform yielding pressure against the inner surface of the insole to press the insole, upper and outsole against the surface of the form and thereby impart to the outsole the shape of said surface.

4. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises lasting an upper over an insole upon a last, providing a form having a contour complemental to that which it is desired to impart to the outsole of a shoe and at least as large as the forepart and shank of the shoe bottom, disposing the outsole between the form and the shoe; holding the shoe and form against relative movement heightwise of the shoe, and introducing pressure between the last and the insole to press the insole and overlasted upper against the outsole and the outsole against the form to cause'the shape of the form to be imparted to the outsole.

5. That improvement in methods of cement attaching outsoles to shoes which comprises providing activated cement between an outsole and an upper securedin overlasted position upon a last, providing a rigid form having a surface corresponding to that which it is desired to impart to the tread face of the outsole, holding the lasted shoe and form against relative movement heightwise of the shoe, and applying pressure between the last and the inner face of the shoe bottom to cause adhesion between the upper and the outsole and also to shape the outsole to correspond to the surface of the form.

6. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises locating an outsole with respect to a lasted shoe with active cement between the overlasted shoe upper and the outsole, placing the shoe against a form having a soleengaging surface complemental to the shape desired in the finished shoe bottom, holding the shoe and form against separation relatively to each other, and introducing fluid pressure between the last and the overlasted upper to force the upper against the outsole and the outsole against the form to attach the outsole to the overlasted upper and impart the shape of the form to the bottom of the outsole.

7. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprise locating an outsole with respect to a lasted shoe with activated cement between the overlasted shoe upper and the outsole, placing the shoe against a form having asoleengaging surface complemental to the shape desired in the finished shoe bottom, holding the shoe and form against separation relatively to each other, and introducing fluid pressure between the last bottom and the overlasted upper to force the upper-against the outsole and the outsole against the form to impart the shape of the form to the bottom of the outsole.

8. That improvement in methods of cement attaching soles to shoes which comprises placing the bottom of a shoe and an outsole which is to be attached thereto between an inflatable vessel which constitutes the bottom portion of a last in the shoe and a rigid form having a surface complemental to the shape which it is desired to impart to the tread face of the outsole, with activated cement between the outsole and the overlasted margin of the shoe upper, and introducing fluid under pressure into said vessel while the last and the rigid form are held securely against separating movement thereby pressing the outsole against the overlasted shoe upper while the cement is setting.

9. Apparatus for treating shoes comprising a rigid form complemental to the shape of the shoe bottom and covering at least the shank and forepart thereof, a device adapted to be inserted in a shoe, the part of said device in contact with the bottom of the shoe on the inside thereof having a cavity enclosing a bag which is capable of distention by fluid pressure to press the shoe bottom against the rigid form and cause the shape of said form to be imparted to the shank and forepart of the shoe bottom, and means for introducing fluid pressure into said bag.

the shoe bottom outwardly toward the rigid form.

11. Apparatus for treating shoes comprising a rigid form having a contour complemental to a shoe bottom and having a recess therein to receive-a heel attached to a shoe and adapted to support the rear and sides of the heel, an inflatable member in said recess arranged to apply pressure to a breast flap on the sole to force the flap against the breast face of the heel, a last in the shoe, and fluid pressure means acting between the last and the shoe bottom to force the inner surface of the shoe bottom outwardly toward the rigid form.

12. Apparatus for treating shoes comprising. a rigid form having a contour complemental to a shoe bottom and having a recess therein to receive a heel attached to a shoe and adapted to support the rear and sides of the heel, an inflatable member in said recess arranged to apply pressure when inflated to a breast flap on the sole to force the flap against the breast face of the heel, a last having fluid pressure means for forcing the inner surface of the shoe bottom outward- 1y toward the rigid form, and means to prevent heightwise movement of the last away from the rigid form.

13. Apparatus for treating shoes comprising a rigid form complemental to the shape of the shoe bottom and at least as large as the shank and forepart thereof, a device adapted to be inserted in a shoe, the part of said device in contact with. the bottom of the shoe on the inside thereof being capable of distention by fluid pressure to pressthe shoe bottom against therigid form and cause the shape of said form to be imparted to the shoe bottom, means to introduce fluid pressure into said part, and means to prevent movement of the device away from the rigid form while the fluid pressure is being introduced.

GEORGE F. RYAN. 

